Battling Leviticus
by SteampoweredRauiri
Summary: AJ is a strong Christian.. when he's not banging Tye. CW: INTERNALISED HOMOPHOBIA


"So… History month.."

Tye lay on the now messy hotel bed with the blanket up over his waist, watching the other getting dressed.

"Hm?"

"LGBT History month… February."

"Is it?"

Tye sighed, of course AJ wouldn't have known. More likely, he did know but he chose not to pay any attention to it.

"Its cute you have a month."

AJ flashed a smile to Ty, meaning to come across as sincere but only getting a scowl in return. He raised an eyebrow and wondered what was bothering him, getting an answer before he had a chance to ask.

"We. LGBT, includes you."

"I aint a faggot."

The word cut Tye deeper than he dare admit, AJ turning to face him properly and catching the younger man before he had a chance to hide the pain on his face. He let out a soft sigh and headed back, ssitting on the edge of the bed and resting a hand on Tye's leg, biting his lip when the male pulled away.

"I didnt mean it like that…"

Tye swallowed, trying to stop the lump in his throat from hampering his voice.

"Why can't you just accept it? It's not even like I'm asking you to come out.. Just… don't use those words.. Me, Dean, Roman, Corey and Shinsuke are hitting a bar for one of their quiz nights before we leave town. Do you wanna come?"

"S'it in a queer bar?"

Tye sighed and nodded. AJ looked thoughtful… he couldn't bear to break the kids heart any more than he had already tonight.

"Lemme drop to my room, get a decent setta pants."

The lighting was almost too low to read the quiz cards. AJ had also been surprised at the amount of.. Well… non sterotypically gay questions.

"Whats gotcha smiling?"

Corey asked to the Georgian native, who thought carefully about how to word this next part.

"I'm waiting on questions about… I dunno… show tunes…"

"You think any of us know about show tunes?"

Roman butted in, Dean snickering.

"Yeah… I mean.. Not that you listen to me on this anyway.."

"You said a dog was a small horse."

"It is, Roman!"

AJ laughed and shook his head, jumping only a little as the results were read out for the round, with the wrestlers coming third. Tye instinctively reached and held AJ's hand, making him pale and dash out to the bathrooms. The others face fell immediately, taking a soft sip of his drink.

"...what's got him?"

Shinsuke asked as Tye bit his lip.

"He.. uh… isn't…"

"It's a region thing."

Dean butted in, taking a swig from his beer and wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

"In the south, it ain't okay to be queer. AJ's been battling it for ages. Tye… he's having like.. Some crisis of faith, or whatever. I heard him practicing saying how this weren't okay earlier in the bathrooms."

Tye entered the bathrooms to see AJ bent over a sink, his hair slightly dampened from splashing his face repeatedly with cold water. He almost winced when he saw it was Tye standing there with almost doe like eyes.

"Tye… I can't… do this…"

He watched the reflection as Tye lowered his head and took a deep breath in through his nose.

"Can I ask why?"

"It's… It just ain't right.. The bible says-"

"Where."

Tye was staring at the reflection as AJ turned to face him.

"The book of Leviticus says clear as day, a man laying with another man is an abomination…"

"A man can't lay with a boy as he does with a woman, its… its not anti gay, its anti pedophillia.."

AJ frowned and Tye's lips curled into a smile. "You also can't eat pork, or have tattoos… AJ.."

"It's different."

"It isn't! I don't see why you don't get it…"

Tye sighed and took a small step towards him.

"You can be yourself, and still a good christian… It doesn't have to be one or the other. You really think seeing me on tour then acting like you don't, makes your God any more happy? Doesn't he notice? Isn't the whole point that God forgives you when you do things you don't think are-"

Tye was getting into hiss flow of an impassioned speech, not noticing that AJ had cleared the distance between them and pulled him into a kiss to silence it. Tye felt his legs weaken slightly, an arm around him keeping him standing as the other pulled away enough to be able to speak.

"... baby steps."

Tye assured him.

"I ain't pushing you out the closet… just.. Maybe not say its not gay midway through sex? Because… It's kind of gay..."

"I'll try… now… let's go.. Finish this quiz?"

They left the restroom, fingers entertwined discreetly.


End file.
